File photo: Real Madrid’s Spanish defender Sergio Ramos shoots against Barcelona’s wall during the Spanish League football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 1, 2020. JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

Barcelona will play Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season at Camp Nou on October 25, after the La Liga fixtures were announced on Monday.

Barca and Madrid will then face each other at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, with Zinedine Zidane’s side looking to defend the Spanish league title they won in July.

Whether Lionel Messi features in either match remains to be seen, with the Argentinian currently on strike and refusing to train as he tries to force his way out of the club this summer.

File photo: (L-R) Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s Portuguese defender Nelson Semedo and Barcelona’s French forward Ousmane Dembele celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match between Barcelona and Villarreal at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 9, 2018. PHOTO: Pau Barrena / AFP

Barcelona are scheduled to start at home to Elche and Madrid at home to Getafe but both games will be rearranged to allow more rest for teams involved in last season’s European competitions, which only ended in August.

Atletico Madrid’s opener at home to Sevilla will therefore also be postponed.

Instead, Real Madrid are likely to begin at Real Sociedad on the weekend of September 20 before Barcelona are expected to start at home to Villarreal a week later.

All matches will continue to be staged behind closed doors and according to strict medical regulations aimed at reducing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first games of the new season will be played on the weekend of September 12, eight weeks after the 2019/20 campaign ended on July 19.

AFP